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Test Valley Borough Council is finalist in Local Authority of the Year award.

Test Valley Borough Council is finalist in Local Authority of the Year award.

We are delighted to announce that Test Valley Borough Council reached the final of the “Local Authority of the Year “ category in the MJ Local Government Achievement Awards, which were announced on Thursday night.

Out of six finalists in this category, we were the only district council. There were 400 submissions in total for the 14 MJ Awards categories.

The judging panel said: “Test Valley’s submission demonstrated it is pushing the boundaries by going above and beyond in providing innovative, excellent services for its residents and businesses.”

Councillor Phil North said: “To be a finalist in this award against much larger councils highlights success right across the organisation, demonstrating that Test Valley is performing to a high standard at a time of huge financial challenge for local government. It is a magnificent achievement and testament to the hard work of all of our staff and councillors. ”

The Council’s submission included examples of engaging with residents, investing in local communities and how we have delivered on our promises.

To win the category, Test Valley demonstrated clear vision by senior management and members, strong forward planning and evidence of successful service provision. The Council Team highlighted the way we are helping communities develop through initiatives such as Romsey Future and Andover Vision. Enabling councillors to engage better with their communities and innovative use of technology to enable residents to interact better with TVBC was also central to the submission. Additionally the entrepreneurial nature of Test Valley which has ensured the Council has a sound financial footing and averted the need to reduce frontline services set the bid apart.

The Editorial Director of the MJ Awards, Michael Burton said: “MJ Awards not only allow local authorities to be recognised for the delivery of their services over the last 12 months, but it also allows them to share their expertise with their peers. Each category is judged by influential commentators from the private and public sectors giving their organisation the chance to illustrate its ability, ingenuity and performance.”

Before being shortlisted as one of the finalists, the former Leader, Councillor Ian Carr, Chief Executive Roger Tetstall and Corporate Director Carol Moore had presented the submission in more detail to a panel of representatives from the MJ Awards.

This success follows the news that the Council reached shortlisting stage in the LGC Awards for its Driving Efficiency Through Technology submission earlier in the year.